City of Pittsburgh
Capital Program Facilitation Committee (CPFC)
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Dear Capital Program Facilitation Committee (CPFC),
Please vote to support the Department of Public Works (DPW) 2027 City Budget allocation for a Master Plan to guide the future restoration of Panther Hollow Lake in Schenley Park. We write on behalf of our grassroots organization, Junction Coalition, in enthusiastic support of restoring this city asset. As residents of the adjacent neighborhood, Four Mile Run (The Run), we know the value of Panther Hollow Lake to Pittsburghers—and the high costs of its prolonged neglect for all of us.
Panther Hollow Lake was once a popular attraction. For many years, countless people enjoyed family-friendly activities like fishing and paddle-boating in the summer, ice skating and pond hockey in the winter. Visitors could rent rods and paddle-boats from the on-site boathouse. They could purchase bait and cold drinks or rent skates, enjoy hot chocolate, and warm up at the boathouse’s cozy fireplace. In every season, generations of Pittsburghers built memories and community there.
Restoration of Panther Hollow Lake on its own will not solve flooding in The Run, but it is an important part of the larger Four Mile Run Stormwater Project. Although 70–80% of flooding in The Run is caused by stormwater runoff at the opposite end of the watershed, the two most recent floods came directly from the lake’s overflow. These floods damaged property owned by CSX as well as the property and homes of Run residents.
Chronic flooding (10 major floods within 15 years) has left many residents unable to purchase flood insurance. Each flood causes thousands of dollars in damage to property owners—and it’s not just stormwater, it’s raw sewage. Combined sewer overflows cause dangerous health and safety issues and every CSO is a violation of the law.
Ignoring this public safety issue shows a conscious disregard for the lives and properties of residents in The Run. Over decades, residents have heard tired excuses about lack of funds to fix this injustice, but the truth is that city officials choose to spend taxpayer money elsewhere.
Restoration of the lake should not and cannot be considered as a complete solution to flooding in The Run. Nor should ALCOSAN’s M29 outflow improvements. At a PWSA public meeting on May 14, the 4MR plan’s lead engineer Tony Igwe commented to us that ALCOSAN’s work is not sufficient to solve the flooding issue. The Four Mile Run Stormwater Project for separating the sewage from the stormwater in The Run is essential. Its design plan is already 90% complete, funded by residents and other ratepayers to the tune of $8.7 million spent so far on the paused flood mitigation project.
Panther Hollow Lake’s restoration would recreate a fantastic community asset and attraction. It would also be a big step toward righting a prolonged wrong while signaling publicly that all residents’ lives matter regardless of the ZIP code they reside in.
Junction Coalition joins neighbors, community organizations, and public representatives in calling for the funds to complete this important work. We strongly recommend that the City of Pittsburgh take this first step with the full participation of Run residents and the Mon Water Project.
Sincerely,
Ziggy Edwards and Ray Gerard for Junction Coalition
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